Combination motor vehicle jack and wheel



Nov. 1, 1949. J. w. HOLMES, JR q 2,486,409

COMBINATION MOTOR VEHICLE JACK AND WHEEL Filed Feb. 18, 1947 I 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 awe/Mom JOHN W. HOLMES, JR,

J. W. HOLMES, JR

COMBINATION MOTOR VEHICLE JACK AND WHEEL Nov. 1, '1949.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.-

Filed Feb. 18, 1947 awe/whorl HOLMES, JR.

JOHN W.

Patented Nov. 1, 1949 COIWBINATIONMOTOR*VEHIELEHAOKiI AND-:WHEEL;

J oh'n WfI-Imm'es, J12, Huntington, NLY

ApplicationrFebr-uaryzIS, 194%;SeriahNoh729fl87 3'Cl'aims. .(Cl.

This. invention. relates to.-motor .vehicle' jacks, particularlyot thetypewhereim individuahjacks, are permanently. attaehedlto. :the ..chassis. ;of .the. vehicle and. associatedwith each of .the wheels and actnatedby. control buttons on .the. instrue. mentrboaridi and,..ini.particular, .av .jack-knifiiig; frame .with' a...whee1 rotatably. mounted... therein andiwithahydriaulic cylinder. positionedthereoni. so that .a. piston rod. extendingtherefrom may heo connectedlto. the axle of .the..wheel. to. force the; wheels ,downward into..operative. position .when the .tire. ofja :wheelwith which .thedevice-is asso-'. ciated fails...

The purpose ..of.-.lthissinventionnisflto provide... auxiliary .wheels..in .,c0mbinati0n .withthe .wheelso-mot0n velriicles.whereimupon failure of. a. tire,.-. an '.auxiliary., wheeliassociated'. therewith..may..be.. lowered. to.-tak'e .the ...load untiL the evehiclee is brought .to a-stop.;to..preventidamag ng{the..tire.

Substantially all... operators. 0t 'motorrvehicles' 20. are. subj ected. at some time .to... the inconvenience othaving .a. tire deflate either.. from gaipuncture failure .of. the l inner.- tube,-. or.. a. b1ow-out,. .sud.. denly, which. causes the..vehic1e.--to.i be. ,thr.own.,. out."of.balance-and almost. outoficontr'oL; Fur.-. thermore, at timesan operatonfeels. a-tir.e=get.- ting soft while...driving throughl. .a..tunnel.-;or. on.

a .highway. or. bridge. where...traific..authorities" wilL .not .permit stopping}. Withthese'thoughts... in mind, this invention contemplates.amauxiliary wheel associated with each .wheel .of..a..moto1:1vehicle' which ispermanently. mountedomand sus=.. pended... .fr'om the chassis ofstheavehicle. and..." adaptedtobe instantly. forced downwardtotems porarilytake .the load Tofathe .yehicle'w The. object of. 1th'is invention..is,...theref0re,. to.-. proyidean improvedjackior. motorvehicles any dividual jacks .may. be .mounted. on thechassis. and '.associatedjwithl. each wh'eel...in.. which. the

jacksmay. be actuated from theuinstrumentmr oe.

board of. the. vehicle'rwith. the vehicle in;motion,..- v orstationary.

Another. .object .of. the .inventionlis to .pr.ovide. a combinationmotor vehicle jack'and'wheel that. may .bepermanentlj; attached ;to .-the,.chassis. ..of. .45n the veh'ic1e..which"is adapted to be .mountedeon vehicles now iniuses.

Anotherobject of .-the.-invention .is to..pr,ovide. a combination wheel. and .Jjack .fdr.motor..ve-

A -fur.ther.object,of this invention ist0-..pr0-' vide a combination wheelrjack adapted: to. be:

permanently attached to :the chassis .anduassoe ciatedfwitheach: wheel of .a motor vehicle. Wh-iCh.u

iSiOf lasimpleiand. economical construction.-.

With-.these-and other objects. in view, I the inlvention. includes a comparatively simplehydrau- 1ic.-cylinder..having a baseplateadapted tobe... attached Ito -the...under. surf ace. of the: chassis -of... aimotoruvehicleewith. a-.wheel suspended in. then lower. end of..a. connecting .rod. extending therefrom..and .a. supporting frame of .j ack.-.knif.e con-.

struction iprovidingl means for. bracing..the.whee1-..

in, the .operative position;

Other. features and advantages. .of the'invene tion. .will .appear from. .the following... description.

taken inconnection with. .the drawings, wherein 1-.

Figure. Lisa view showing. aside elevation .of..'. the-.combination jack. and .wheel .with ltheJvheel intherelevatedposition, wherein the frame parts are. folded.

Figure 2lis' a view showing an endfelevation of thedevice illustratedin Figure 1.

Figure. 3.;i a..si:rni1ar View looking toward .the oDpositendLof the. device...

FfgureA isf-a view--simi1ar.to that showniri... Fig'ure.1,..showing. a. sideelvation 0f .the device withLthe. wheel extended .and'the supporting ffamejnethe operative position...

Figure 5is a diagrammaticview showing. the..-

chassis ,.of. ..a. motonvehicle" illustrating. the relative. positions of .the combination. .j ack. and wheel devices Re'frring. ..now .to the drawings, whereinlika.

reference characters. indicate corresponding.

parts}. the. combinati'onwh'eel "and. jack of '.'this'-..-

invention includes a.-wh"eel 10, a hydraulic cylin denl liandamainsbar I! to which levers consti tutifngasupporti-ng frame are attachedi.

I 4;jand may. be provided with a pneumatic .or. solidtirfe, as maybe desired. The wheel is rotatably mounted on an axle l5,' oneendof which is attach'edftoan eye It atthelower. endfoffa eonnecting. rod l1 byifldck nuts lafand 19;" and the rodxtends vertically downwardth'rough ia stuiifi'figjbox 20""at .thelcwer .end .of .the. cylinder 5 l," the .upper end lofjwhichl .is.provided..with. .a base .2 [that is permanently attachedto .a..chassis..

hicle'sthatmaybe.permanentlyattached to..the --.i22 .of.'a motor .vehic1e-..by bo1ts 23; .The upper.

end. of .'.the. cylinder is .provided .witlm a epowers colnnectio'nhfl .that mayextend to. a.pump..or any suitable. means... for .suppilying. .fiuid: minder pressure...

The wheel In "may have a disc I3Jwith a rim.

The zpla eiqlz .Of theeframeuissuspended ate one side of the cylinder ll through a clip 25, the ends of which are pivotally connected to vertically extending legs 26 and 21 of clip angles, by bolts 28 and 29, and the lower horizontally positioned legs of the angles are attached to the plate [2 by bolts 30. The upper ends of the legs 26 and 2! are pivotally connected by a link 3| through pins 32 and 33.

- The plate I2 is preferably of spring steel, and the ends are provided with U-shaped yokes 34 and 35, and the extending ends of the yoke are pivotally attached to a plurality of levers providing a jack-knife bracket which laterally supports the lower end of the connecting rod IT in the downward or extended position. The extending ends of the yoke 34 are pivotally attached to an end of the links 39 and 31 on opposite sides of the wheel l through a short bolt 38, the other ends of the links being pivotally mounted on the wheel axle I 5, The extending ends of the yoke 35 are pivotally attached to an end of levers 39 and 49 by a bolt 4|, a spring 42 being provided on said bolt for normally urging the levers to the folded or jack-knife position, as illustrated in Figure l. The levers 39 and 49 intermediate their ends are pivotally connected to the upper ends of the links 43 and 44 by means of bolt 45, the bolt having a spring operatively connected thereto for normally urging the levers to the folded or jack-knife position. The lower ends of the links 43 and 44 are pivotally connected to the other ends of links 41 and 48 pivotally carried by the wheel axle by means of a bolt 59, a spring 59 being provided on the bolt 49 which also urges the levers to the folded or jack-knife position. The inner ends of the levers 39 and 49 are pivotally attached to an end of a pair of links 5i by a bolt 52, the other ends of the links 5| each being provided with an opening 55. One end of links 53 pivotally carried by the wheel axle I 5 is connected to a pivot pin 54 carried by the openings 55 The inner ends of the links 4'! and 38 are also pivotally mounted on the axle l5, and it will be noted that with the wheel in the elevated position, as illustrated in Figure 1, the levers will be in the jack-knife or folded position, and when the wheel is forced downward, as illustrated in Figure 4, the levers will assume the outwardly extending or supporting position, as illustrated.

In the diagrammatic view illustrated in Figure 5, it will be noted that the cylinders l I are positioned in opposite corners of a chassis having side members 56 and 51, and the jacks with the wheels ii! are mounted on the chassis so that they are comparatively close to wheels 58 of the vehicle. In this design the hydraulic cylinders may be controlled by a pump 59 having suitable supply and return connections 69 and 6| to the respective cylinders, and the pump may be controlled by buttons on the instrument board or any suitable means through which fluid may be admitted to or released from each of the hy draulic cylinders individually or collectively.

The combination jack and wheel of this invention, therefore, includes a cylinder adapted to be actuated by hydraulic pressure or a suitable fluid, a wheel rotatably mounted in the end of the connecting rod of the cylinder, and a supporting frame bracing the wheel for lateral movement which jack-Knifes to a folded position with the wheel elevated, and which moves downward with the wheel when pressure is applied to the cylinder to force the wheel downward to operative position providing means for absorbing lateral strain and bracing the connecting rod. Thus, the supporting frame is automatically brought into effect as the wheel is brought into its operative position. The cylinder may be permanently mounted on the under side of the chassis of a motor vehicle with a complete device associated with each wheel of the vehicle, and the individual elements may be actuated independently, or in combination, and the action thereof may be controlled by buttons on the instrument board or control means located at any suitable point. The devices may be locked in their inoperative positions, and only actuated to relieve a wheel of the vehicle in an emergency.

The device is illustrated in the preferred design. However, it will be understood that modifications may be made in the design or relative positions of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a motor vehicle jack, a vertically-disposed fluid-actuated cylinder positioned on the under side of the chassis of a vehicle including a wheel axle, a connecting rod extending vertically downward from the cylinder, and having its lower end rotatably mounted on said wheel axle, a substantially horizontally-disposed plate arranged on one side of said cylinder, means surrounding said cylinder and secured to said plate for suspendingly supporting the latter, a pair of links each pivotally mounted on opposite sides of said wheel axle and pivotally attached to one end of said plate, levers each having one end pivotally connected to the other end of said plate, resilient means operatively connected to the pivotal connection of said levers for normally urging the latter to folded position, a second pair of links each pivotally carried by the wheel axle, a third pair of links each having one end pivotally connected to the other end of said levers and having the other end pivotally connected to said second pair of links, a fourth pair of links each pivotally carried by said wheel axle, a fifth pair of links each having one end pivotally connected to said fourth pair of links and having the other end pivotally connected to said levers, and resilient means operatively connected to the pivotal connection of said fourth pair of links with said fifth pair of links for also urging the levers to folded position.

2. In a motor vehicle jack, a vertically-disposed fluid-actuated cylinder positioned On the under side of the chassis of a vehicle including a wheel axle, a connecting rod extending vertically downward from the cylinder and having its lower end rotatably mounted on said axle, a substantially horizontally-disposed plate arranged on one side of said cylinder, substantially verticallydisposed arms extending upwardly from the plate at the opposite sides of the cylinder, a clip on the cylinder having extending ends, means pivotally attaching the arms in the extending ends of the clip, a link pivotally connecting the upper ends of the arms, yokes with extending arms on opposite ends of the plate, a pair of links each pivotally mounted on opposite sides of said wheel axle and pivotally attached to one of the extending arms of said yokes, levers each having one end pivotally connected to the other extending arms of said yokes on the opposite end of the plate, resilient means operatively connected to the pivotal connection of said levers for normally urging the latter to folded position, a second pair of links each pivotally carried by the wheel axle, a third pair of links each having one end pivotally connected to the other end of said levers and having the other end pivotally connected to said second pair of links, a fourth pair of links each pivotally carried by said Wheel axle, a fifth pair of links each having one end pivotally connected to said fourth pair of links and having the other end pivotally connected to said levers, and resilient means operatively connected to the pivotal connection of said fourth pair of links with said fifth pair of links and to the pivotal connection of said fifth pair of links with said levers for also urging the levers to folded position.

3. In a motor vehicle jack, a vertically-disposed fluid-actuated cylinder positioned on the under side of the chassis of a vehicle including a wheel axle, a connecting rod extending vertically clownwardly from the cylinder and having its lower end rotatably mounted on said Wheel axle, a

substantially horizontally-disposed plate arranged on one side of said cylinder, means surrounding said cylinder and secured to said plate for suspendingly supporting the latter, a yoke having extending arms on each end of said plate, a pair of links each pivotally mounted on opposite sides of said Wheel axle and pivotally attached to the extending arms of one of said yokes, levers each having one end pivotally connected to the other of the extending arms on the other of said yokes, resilient means operatively connected to the pivotal connection of said levers for normally urging the latter to folded position, a second pair of links each pivotally carriediby the wheel axle, a third pair of links each having one end pivotally connected to the other end of said levers and having the other end pivotally connected to said second pair of links, a fourth pair of links each pivotally carried by said wheel axle,.a fifth pair of links each having one end pivotally connected to said fourth pair of links and having the other end pivotally connected to said levers, and resilient means operatively connected to the pivotal connection of said fourth pair of links with said fifth pair of links for also urging the levers to folded position.

JOHN W. HOLMES, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

